Brittle
by Durotos
Summary: Karen is a firm believer that nothing ever changes in Mineral Town. But when she receives an invitation to a cooking lesson at the new farmer's house, can she find a way to break from her mind-numbing routine? Secret Santa gift for Atomitrox in the Village Square Gift Exchange.


It could hardly be considered a proper grocery store, but she didn't know that; it was all she had ever really known. She was born in this very building and grew up here. She'd probably die here, too, she realized with a sigh. The young woman had never really thought about it that way before, and she felt a little unsettled at the idea.

That's the way it was with this town. People were born, they lived a while, and then they died.

She was startled by the rustling of her mother's skirts as she hurried past her. The woman pulled a shawl around her shoulders and gave the young lady a stern look. "I'm going to the square to meet with Anna and Manna. Make sure your father doesn't _give_ anything away today." She didn't wait for a response from her daughter as she pushed the door open with her shoulder, speeding up her walking pace.

The young woman sighed and rolled her eyes as she pushed her long brown hair out of her face and shuffled through wooden crates of seeds and put last season's selection away. She began to sing to amuse herself; the work was rather monotonous.

There was no sense worrying about things that would never change, after all… Things would always remain the way they were. Her father would never stand up to Duke and would continue to give things away on credit; her mother would then proceed to scold her husband for doing so and tell her daughter to never marry a coward and to keep an eye out for a man who had a backbone. The couple's quarreling had increased as of late, and the young woman preferred not to dwell too much on it. After all, nothing would ever come of it, just like everything else.

Her smooth alto voice echoed in the barren storage room; they were due for a shipment any day now. _"When the autumn leaves fall down, fall down…"_

The music festival had been months ago, but it didn't make her change the fact that it was her favorite song. The trees outside all stood bare, preparing themselves for the cold winter ahead. The flowers had stopped growing around the Goddess Spring she visited every morning, and the grass had muted in color. It seemed as if the world was preparing for something new, but the brunette couldn't share the same sentiment, and she found that it left her with a nagging feeling of dissatisfaction.

"I don't think I've ever seen you buy more than the most basic essentials, Cliff," the young woman could hear the smile in her father's voice. She stopped singing and put the crate back on the shelf, peeking through the door to the main shop.

"Well, can I afford more than that now…. Things… are _changing_ ," The customer's eyes lit up and he let out a soft chuckle as he shifted his leather satchel on his shoulder.

Her ears perked up; she wasn't sure if she had ever heard Cliff laugh before. He didn't stop by the shop often, but when he did, he rarely spoke and he often had a worried expression plastered across his face as if he was waiting for something horrible and inevitable to happen. She had made small talk with him on multiple occasions and he never spoke about himself and always kept his voice very low. She had seen him drinking with his roommate a few times at the inn, and even in the casual bar setting, Cliff rarely smiled or spoke; he simply sipped at his wine quietly while Gray ranted and raved to him about his grandfather and his seemingly iron-fisted rule over the smithy, Karen smiled at her weak pun. Today was different; he wasn't giving off an aura that made Karen slowly drift to the storage room while he was shopping. Today he had managed to lure her back into the main floor of the shop with smiling eyes.

The young man fished some coins out of his wallet. "Thanks, Jeff. I-I'm… actually going to be giving my friend some cooking lessons this afternoon." He spoke a little louder than his usual mumble.

The shopkeeper stared at his customer curiously. Cliff never told anyone about his daily activities; he seemed too afraid of bothering people with the fact that he existed. "Cooking lessons?" He encouraged the young man. "You got room for another student?" He looked meaningfully back at his daughter.

"D-Dad!" She felt her face get hot. She wasn't particularly thrilled about her parents advertising her faults to the general public.

To her surprise, the young man gave her a kind smile, but she noticed his fingers were nervously playing with a loose string on his bag. "I-I really don't mind… You can join me, Karen… I'm just going over to Jack's," he replied nonchalantly.

The grocer's daughter recalled seeing the former traveler hanging out with the new farmer on several occasions; they seemed pretty close. Jack appeared to be the polar opposite of his friend – loud, perky, and unabashedly happy about life in general. Why he chose to spend time with someone as gloomy as Cliff was beyond her.

"We're going to make some peanut brittle. Ann showed me how to make it last week," Cliff continued as he rolled up the top of his paper grocery bag. "And since the Pumpkin Festival is coming up, Jack asked me to teach him how to make it, too." He slowly made his way to the door, bidding Jeff goodbye as he did so.

Karen didn't bid her father goodbye as she followed the young man curiously. "So Jack isn't much of a chef himself, huh?"

Her companion shook his head so emphatically that he whipped himself in the face with his own ponytail, biting back a grin. "Not so much… But then again, neither am I unless I'm working with a campfire," he added hastily.

"Why doesn't he just buy chocolate bars for the kids in town? There are only a couple of them anyway," Karen snorted; it seemed like an awful lot of work for two children (and Poupori), and they were likely going to inhale the sugar-laden treats without tasting them (especially Poupori).

Cliff shrugged. "It's probably because I shared my batch of peanut brittle with him after I made it. He loves to eat, but he can't cook." They followed the cobblestone street to the south.

"So _that's_ why he's always at the inn," Karen mused. She had seen Jack and Cliff sharing a table fairly often at the eatery in town as she drank her usual wine at the counter. Ann had always carried several helpings of food out to their table, and Karen noticed that Cliff only ever ordered water, refusing to partake in his friend's feast, no matter how much the farmer attempted to share with him. Karen had, however, seen Cliff break down once a few weeks ago. The brunette had dug into a plate of curry rice as if he hadn't eaten in days; he ate only slightly slower than the farmer.

"Yeah, Jack loves the food there… He says he likes the… at-atmosphere, t-too…" Cliff chuckled and nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

Karen snorted. Mineral Town hardly seemed the place anyone would visit for the ambience, yet surprisingly enough, people from out of town visited for the festivals. She wasn't sure why people bothered; it was the same thing every year.

Cliff rapped on the farmhouse door and Karen was suddenly aware that she had never set foot inside of Jack's house.

"Are you sure you guys are cool with me hanging out with you?" She didn't want to be a bother, and she realized with embarrassment that she never really spent much time with either of the young men.

"It's no problem; trust me, Jack won't mind." Her companion shifted the heavy grocery bags in his arms and knocked again.

"So, uh… I can't help but notice you bought quite a bit of everything," Karen cocked an eyebrow. "That's an awful lot of sugar for one batch of peanut brittle." It was almost as if Cliff had purchased the ingredients with the intention of screwing up…

The young man's deep blue eyes widened and the color drained from his face. "Uh… well… candy making can be tricky," he stumbled over his words. "B-Besides… It's better to have too m-much than not enough, eh?" He chuckled nervously.

The young woman considered this. Most of the things she cooked herself ended up in the trash can. Her mother's lack of patience while Karen was in the kitchen didn't exactly help things. "Huh… I guess so…"

"Jack must be in the barn," Cliff moved his bags to the other hand as he cocked his head in the direction of the cow barn.

Karen was surprised when the young man didn't bother with knocking; he skillfully swung the door open with one foot as if he owned the place and held it open for the young woman to pass through the entrance.

It was quite different from the noisy, smelly chicken coop her childhood friend operated. She was greeted with the sweet scent of alfalfa and freshly cut grass. There was no hiding the fact that this was the dwelling place of a couple of cows and a sheep, but she found the overall smell rather agreeable and natural. The barn was a cozy temperature and Karen realized the whole setting made her feel very comfortable. She wandered over to the far corner of the barn and watched a sheep munch on some dried grass.

"Hey, Jack. Did you forget about our plans or what?"

The farmer had his back turned away from the pair and was staring intently at a device that was making a distinctive whirring noise. "Nah, like I'd miss out on chowing down on candy; don't be an idiot!" Jack roared with laughter. Karen was surprised Jack had heard his friend's voice over the machine. "I'm finishing up on making some butter. You said it was an ingredient, right?" He turned around and rolled his eyes at his friend as he saw Cliff's full arms. "Why didn't you just drop off the bag in the house?"

"I didn't want to barge in with _company_ ," He replied, and Karen caught what almost looked like a smug hint of a smile on his face as he cocked his head toward the grocer's daughter.

"Hey, Jack… Hope you don't mind me crashing your party," Karen walked back over toward the doorway and laughed nervously. "I figured if Cliff invited me to do something, I might as well jump at the chance. It's not likely to happen twice."

"I suppose you're right…" The farmer was giving his friend a pointed look. He was met with a shrug and a smirk, but the winery employee's cheeks had turned pink out of embarrassment.

A stick of butter appeared in the tray of Jack's device. "Alright; let's go into the house."

0o0o0o0

"Huh… We really suck at this, eh?" Jack let out a good-natured laugh as they stared at the gooey lump of sugar that was fused to a baking sheet.

"It's surely not _that_ bad," Cliff gave him a rueful smile as he tugged a piece off. "It's kind of like taffy…"

"Is this how Ann's turned out?" Jack asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"W-Well… no," The young man let out a nervous laugh. "All the ingredients are correct, though, so it should taste fine, right?" He popped the lump of sugar in his mouth and focused on the flavor.

The other two tore off pieces from the blob and ate in silence, all staring at each other, unsure of what to say.

Karen finally broke the silence. Something needed to be said; it was terrible. "It _is_ kind of like taffy… Taffy with gritty sugar… This is awful; time to start from the top," She quoted her mother. "Into the garbage." She was grateful Cliff purchased extra ingredients.

"Hey, now!" Jack pouted, standing protectively in front of the counter. "This is still edible! I'll eat it. Cliff, you'll eat it, too, right?"

The brunette nodded. "You know me; I'm not too picky. Besides, I'm not going to throw away those ingredients I bought with my hard-earned money. Especially the peanuts; they're a good source of protein."

Karen bit her lip, tempted to say it was up to them if they wanted to eat second-rate candy, but Cliff's comment made her have second thoughts. He obviously saw his purchases today as luxuries, and it looked like the young man could stand to gain a few pounds anyway. Besides, she had no doubt that Jack would help his friend finish eating the candy.

"But you're right, Karen. We should start a fresh batch; I don't think we let it get hot enough. Let's do it right this time," Cliff sighed, consulting the recipe. "Put the heat back on the burner, Jack. Karen, we need two cups of sugar."

The young woman didn't question the fact that the quietest of the three was leading the operation; he was at least reading the directions, which was more than Karen could say about herself while she cooked. She eagerly scooped the granules into a bowl and awaited further instructions.

"Where are the peanuts?" Cliff scoured the countertop. "I poured them all out in a bowl. We need one and a half cups."

Jack bit his lip as he stepped back from the stove. "Uhh…" He stared at the floor guiltily.

"Where did you put them, Jack?" Cliff frowned and folded his arms across his chest; he knew he wasn't going to be happy with the response he was about to receive.

The farmer shot his friend an apologetic smile. "Well, our first batch looked like it was going to turn out perfect. It smelled really good, and the texture looked right… Well, at least in the pot anyway…"

Cliff slapped his forehead. "You ate them _all_?" The cooking instructor shook his head.

The trio looked at the empty bowl where the peanuts were sitting just moments ago. "For what it's worth, they were delicious," Jack offered weakly.

His friend furrowed his brows. "I was going to save the leftover nuts as a treat for tomorrow's lunch, you jerk!" Karen thought Cliff was going to slap Jack with the wooden spoon in his hand, but she found that the cold stare he gave him was much more effective.

"W-Well, how was I supposed to know that?" The farmer retorted. "I've been working all day and I was hungry!"

His friend let out a soft sigh. "You're _always_ hungry, Jack…"

Karen was a bit disappointed; she had actually enjoyed failing at cooking with the young men. "Well, we can't make peanut brittle without peanuts… That sucks…" She frowned at the empty bowl.

"I-I'll go get some more," Cliff interjected, but held out an outstretched hand palm faced up to the farmer with a meaningful look.

Jack's eyes flickered between his two companions. He cursed under his breath as he led his friend to his money box. "Fine… Take the money and keep the change, you scheming bastard," he kept his voice below a whisper.

Cliff said nothing in response to the insult, but accepted the money with a slight smirk and wink when he saw the hint of color in Jack's face. " _And_ I'll be keeping the leftover nuts. I'll be back in a while. Don't attempt to cook anything while I'm gone," He gave them a good-natured laugh as he pulled the door shut behind him.

The room was surprisingly quiet, considering the one who left the house was the most soft-spoken of the three.

"W-Well… I guess we can just take a seat." Jack carried the failed cooking experiment to his dining table and sat down in front of it.

"So… Cliff seems like a pretty nice guy," Karen played with a strand of her hair as she stared at the sticky heap, pulling out a chair for herself. "I always assumed he was no fun to hang around because he was always so quiet around me. He's much more outgoing around you," She let out a weak laugh.

"He's come a long way," Jack confessed, pinching off another piece of the candy and chewing on it.

Karen shuddered as she stared at the unappetizing mess in front of them, and she was reminded that the subject of their conversation had volunteered to eat the abomination as well. "You guys never waste anything, huh?"

"Nope," Jack proudly stretched another piece off of the gooey mass and popped it into his mouth. "This beats eating bitter herbs and wild mushrooms every day. I never could get used to them…"

The farmer actually ate the wild things that were growing up in the mountain? Cliff doing this was one thing; the man still looked like he was ready to hit the trail any moment and collect some berries and eat some squirrels, or whatever it was that outdoorsmen did. But Jack seemed to have a more refined palate than his friend; after all, he regularly ordered pizza and wine at the bar, two of her personal favorites.

Karen stared at the young man curiously. She had never really given much thought to the concept of having to purchase food other than when she went out to the inn for fun; her father was a grocer, after all. Any time she was hungry, all she needed to do was take something off of the shelf and record in the store log that she had removed it from the inventory; she never had to worry about going without. The thought of digging through the grass for something edible sounded alien to her.

"We never had a lot when I was young," Jack admitted. He took off his hat and set it on the table, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. "I was always hungry, but my parents did the best they could for me. You see, they both have health problems. I send them money every couple of weeks to help cover their medical bills," he explained, the enthusiasm in his voice fading.

"My dad claims to have health problems," Karen rested her face on her arms and looked up at her tablemate. "I think it's all in his head, honestly. He stresses himself out so much that he gets ulcers."

"Mental illness can lead to physical problems," Jack carefully chose his words as his smile vanished. "Karen?"

"Yeah?" She was playing with a blob of sugar in her fingers and absentmindedly popped it into her mouth.

The young man looked at her with kind yet firm eyes. "Take care of your parents; they're the only ones you've got."

Karen couldn't help but feel attacked. The brunette swallowed her candy and felt her throat tighten at Jack's words. She struggled to keep her voice level as she sat up straight. "Is that one of Carter's sermons?" She immediately regretted opening her mouth.

She was surprised when she was met with a sad smile. Jack shook his head. "No. Cliff said that to me once."

The thought of the gloomy young man giving life advice sounded a little odd to Karen, but she didn't comment on this. "I wonder what happened to his family," She mused aloud.

The farmer shook his head as he untied the bandana around his neck and shook it out over the floor to air it out. She had seen him do this on multiple occasions; it seemed to be a nervous habit of some sort. "Please don't ask him," Jack's voice was gentle. "He's my best friend, but he told me that he never wants to talk about it. I learned that very early on in our friendship." He ran his fingers along the wrinkles in the red fabric.

To Karen, that sounded like the emotional equivalent of putting a stopper on an active volcano. Poupori and Rick told her everything, whether Karen wanted to hear it or not. "How can he be your best friend if he willingly keeps secrets from you?"

She was half-expecting Jack to defend Cliff, but the farmer smiled at her. "Oh, he'll tell me someday when he's ready, I'm sure," Jack nodded, more to himself than to his companion. His eyebrows furrowed despite his smile; it made Karen's heart hurt a little for some reason. The farmer folded the red bandana into a neat triangle. "And I'll be there to help him pick up the pieces when he finally does break down…" Jack's eyes moved to the lump of sugar on the table, concentrating on it as if it were an abstract work of art. "… It's hard staying strong, isn't it, Karen?"

The young woman felt her heart in her throat; she wasn't sure how to respond for a few moments. She clenched her jaw, feeling a rush of aggression. What on earth was he talking about? "'Staying strong'?! You don't know _anything_ about me!" She retorted, standing up.

Jack's face fell; she was going to leave. After all he had shared with her, it seemed she wasn't willing to open up as well on the things that were obviously bothering her. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I know enough." Jack's voice was husky as he returned his cap to his head. "I know because I used to feel the way that you do," He ventured, looking up at her with wide brown eyes as he knotted his bandana around his neck.

" _What_ way?" Karen leaned forward on the table, tapping her fingernails on the counter. Who did he think he was, anyway?

He spoke gently, in hopes of convincing her to stay. "I get scared, too, you know…" He frowned; he was terrified right now. After a couple of seasons of admiring Karen from afar, he finally had a moment alone with her and he was blowing it. Jack wasn't a fool; he now understood that this whole candy making venture was Cliff's clumsy attempt at being a wingman. One of the things the farmer liked about the grocer's daughter was her strong spirit, but he realized that now that they were alone together, it was a bit intimidating. He noticed that her facial expressions had softened a bit; she looked afraid as well… Perhaps he should open up a little more to her in order to encourage her. "I was scared when I first moved here," He admitted quietly.

The young man's stomach stopped twisting itself in knots as he watched the woman slowly sit back down, watching him with inquisitive emerald eyes; it was working.

"I didn't know anything about farming before I moved here," He admitted with a wry smile. "I inherited the property from my grandfather when he passed and I was the only one in the family strong enough to handle the chores that needed to be done."

Karen said nothing, but continued to look at the young man curiously.

The farmer took this as his cue to continue. "When I came here, all I had was a heavy pressure on my shoulders to succeed. I was terrified."

The young woman tried her best not to stare. This wasn't the bubbly, happy-go-lucky Jack she was used to seeing.

"H-Haven't you ever been scared?" He asked gently, his eyes not moving from the table's surface.

Karen opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again. She was about to emphatically deny any fear, but she found herself dwelling on the hopeless feeling that had consumed her this morning. The sense that her life made absolutely no difference in the grand scheme of things; the fear that nothing would ever change… The dread that she would spend every day of her life with an intimidating Sasha who ranted to Karen about her father while he was off at the church and a sniveling Jeff who would make passive aggressive comments about his wife to his own daughter when they were alone in the shop.

It was exhausting, remaining neutral. Occasionally, she would snap and lash out at one or the other, but the very next day, she was met with the very same behavior. She wouldn't complain about this to either parent; surely, this was what good daughters did. Her childhood friend, Rick, complained to her countless times about his frustration at Rod's abandonment of Lillia and the family. Karen would always scold him for speaking this way about his father, telling him to suck it up and be the man of the house, to be a pillar of strength for his family. Who would that make her if she didn't follow her own advice?

Telling herself that things would never change used to give her a sense of peace and routine; now it only left her feeling powerless and hollow inside. Pretending to remain strong _was_ difficult, she realized. She'd laugh at the bar with Rick and Ann as she finished drink after drink, slurring about how great it would be if one's troubles could be dissolved in alcohol. They always gave her friendly laughs and nudges in reply, but Doug often cut off her supply after she uttered these words. Perhaps the barkeep was the only one who really understood what she was saying…

It was hard. She _was_ terrified.

Karen looked up from the floor. Jack was sitting silently at his chair, studying her facial expressions. "C-Can I ask you something?" She focused on relaxing her tightened throat.

"Of course." His tenor voice was soothing; he spoke as if he was comforting a small child, and Karen found that this didn't make her feel patronized at all, but rather, safe.

The young woman looked around the room suspiciously, as if someone would overhear them. "Do… Do your parents get along well?" She felt a pang of guilt as she asked this; as painfully obvious as it was to the entire town, the grocer's daughter had never uttered anything aloud that implied her parents had a strained relationship.

"Well enough," He replied honestly. "Coping with their own illnesses, along with each other's, can be a bit grueling sometimes, but they still love each other."

Karen wasn't expecting her throat to contract at this. She quickly blinked the mistiness out of her eyes. Did her parents still even love each other? What kind of examples did she even have to compare her parents with?

Duke and Manna squabbled constantly. The winery owner often came to the grocery store to talk to Karen's father, often beginning by grumbling about how his wife kept him on an allowance and how it was her fault that their daughter ran away. Jeff offered nods and grunts of agreement where they were required, desperate to get along with the man. Duke would mellow out after time, admitting that he was equally at fault for his family's unhappiness and lament his loss. Jeff offered the man a few stammered words of encouragement, and Duke eventually left the store with a grin on his face and a bag full of groceries while the proprietor was given a hearty slap on the shoulder and a swift "I forgot my wallet; I'll pay you next time" in exchange. From what Karen saw, Duke and Manna seemed to be eager to talk honestly about their problems to everyone but each other.

Did they love each other? Karen decided that they did. While their daughter's absence seemed to be glue that held them together, she occasionally saw the two giggling in the vineyard together. Karen had walked past the business a couple of times when Duke surprised his wife with a kiss on the cheek or a squeeze on the bottom. Manna always pretended to be angry or embarrassed with his behavior, but a smile played at the corners of her mouth. Yes, Karen nodded, they loved each other.

Lillia and Rod were a very different case. The owner of the Poultry Farm had left his family years ago in search of a flower to cure his wife's illness. As time passed, so did most villagers' confidence that Rod would come home, although none of them ever mentioned this to the family; they'd express it to Karen instead. The young woman would glare at them in return and scold them; she had no doubt in her mind that the couple still loved each other dearly. Karen could see the love the family shared the day Rod finally wrote a letter home; Poupori and Lillia had grins on their faces that were unable to fade. Rick had come to the bar, ordering heavy liquor and griping to Karen about how letters weren't the same as being home. Karen swiftly told him to shut up and shared a few whiskeys with him, insisting that Rick's frustration was just his way of showing how much he missed his father. Yes, Rod and Lillia were still very much in love.

This left Basil and Anna, the final married couple in town. Like Karen's own parents, Jeff and Sasha, Anna and Basil didn't have any absent family members. However, Anna regularly expressed her unhappiness to Karen's mother about the way her husband got too consumed in his work to care about much else. Anna would also complain that her daughter had a predisposition to behave similarly to her father; she was often wrapped up in her work on the library's second floor, absorbed in her novel writing. To put it rather bluntly, Anna seemed rather bored with her family, wishing for something to bring them closer more but never making any effort to do anything about it herself. Did they love each other? Probably, Karen figured. After all, they seemed like the most 'normal' family in Mineral Town, whatever that meant…

Anna wanted her family to give her more attention, but lacked the motivation to make this a reality. Lillia went on about how loyal her husband was, but the way she didn't seem to mind her son's concern over it all was a bit disheartening. And Duke seemed unwilling to solve the unhappiness in his own marriage, eagerly instigating and welcoming arguments with his wife.

Yet, despite all of their problems, all of these couples were still in love, Karen realized. Maybe her parents were, too… but was that enough? Why were all of them continuing the way they were? Why didn't they try to make a change to better their lives?

Karen felt her stomach lurch. She was just like all of them; she had let herself become content with leaving things the way they were, simply accepting them as the way things would always be.

"… Karen?" The farmer's soft voice caused the young woman to nearly jump out of her seat. She had been so lost in her reverie that she had forgotten where she was. The grocer's daughter let out a nervous laugh and threw her long hair over her shoulder.

"Sorry about that…" Karen noticed that the farmer had never questioned her why she had asked him about his parents, and she was grateful it. "I guess people have to want change before they actually go about doing it, huh?"

The young man looked at her curiously. "That's true."

"I… I have been scared before," Her voice cracked as she finally answered his question. "I am every day." She felt her throat tighten again and she silently scolded herself; she was not about to cry at an acquaintance's house.

"I am, too," He gave her a sad smile. "I worry about my parents' health, I worry about Cliff… I worry about what will happen if I fail here..." His voice was nearly a whisper.

Karen thought of the tidy rows of sweet potatoes and bell pepper plants she had walked past every morning on her way to the Goddess Spring. She recalled the shipments of local produce and fresh milk to the grocery store for resale. Her father had much more to sell the residents of Mineral Town now that Jack's farm was around. The bar sold a wider variety of dishes, and her mother had stopped grumbling so much about the price of vegetables since they could buy locally.

"You won't fail." She reached across the table and gave his hand a pat. "You're too strong to give up."

The farmer's brown eyes met her green ones. "You're right… I'm only as strong as I am because my parents believe in me and I have Cliff to rely on."

The young woman found it interesting that the same people Jack named as the main sources of his worries were also what he claimed were his greatest supports.

Perhaps Rick was a pillar of strength for her… Karen thought of the boy with the strawberry blonde hair. They had played together as children and they grew up together. She was a year or so older than him, and even though they were now in their mid-twenties, the fact that she was a little older still seemed to be an instrumental part of their relationship; he was constantly looking to her for advice and to listen to his rants. She felt like she was always the one helping him, and never the other way around. Karen was often annoyed by this, but she thought about Jack's words. Rick must see Karen as his support; he had no one else, so he leaned on her hard. Was this an equal partnership? No. Karen refused to complain to Rick about her parents…

She refused to say anything to anyone about them, not even her parents themselves. At least, she never had an extended serious conversation with them about how their behavior made her feel. Perhaps she was to blame for this…

"No one's life is easy, but the power of humans to help each other is immense." Jack leaned back into his chair.

Karen considered this and found herself nodding in agreement; she knew she had seen Rick through some dark times. She caught him a couple of occasions at the bar, wallowing in a self-pity that even the hardest liquor wouldn't snap him out of. Karen had dragged her friend to the Goddess Spring for the sake of privacy, never mincing words with him, reminding him of the important role he played in his family. An embarrassed and hung-over Rick always thanked her the next morning and worked at his poultry farm with more vigor than before, despite his compromised state.

"Yeah… Is that another one of Cliff's words of wisdom?" Karen gave the young man a smile.

Jack laughed softly. "No. That one was Carter's."

The young woman thought of the priest's words and realized with a throb in her chest that she didn't have anyone that she saw as a confidant the way Jack and Rick did.

She never realized how badly she wanted someone to confide in as well. For years, she had been listening to Rick and Poupori about their problems, always leaving her own out of discussion. After all, they had never asked her to open up; no one ever did… at least not before today… "I worry about my parents." The words came out before she could stop them. "I worry about myself. I wonder if things will ever change or if I'll be stuck in this endless cycle." She let out a sigh as she shuffled her feet under the table. "Things never change around here."

"Sure they do," Jack popped another lump of sugar into his mouth. "Winter will be starting soon. I'll have to prepare my barns and fields for the cold. The beach will close to the public, and the wild plants in the mountains are dying off."

"Typical farmer, talking only about the weather," Karen found herself smirking.

To her surprise, Jack didn't take offense to this. "Fine, then. You want proof of change? I don't have to worry about my best friend moving out of town anymore now that he has a job. Elli finally finished her last correspondence course on nursing, and she'll be receiving her diploma in the city next week. May lost a front tooth yesterday."

"So things _do_ change, but they just happen to everyone else," Karen's voice was bitter as she failed to hide her envy.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Jack seemed to be contemplating how to word his reply. "People have to want to change before they go about doing it, right? Th-That's what you said earlier, anyway…" His eyes drifted to the floor.

"Heh, you're a pretty good listener," The young woman grinned.

The young man heard the laugh in her voice and quickly looked back up at her. Color rushed into his face. "Well… I-I try, I s-suppose," he failed miserably to remain nonchalant.

Karen giggled. In a few ways, the outgoing farmer was just as bashful as his best friend. "Hey, I try, too. I don't mind listening to what you have to say."

Jack's face was burgundy as he reached for more candy and missed his mouth. "Uh, th-thanks! Please know the feeling is mutual," He let out a shy chuckle.

"It seems I need to have a real conversation with my parents if I want to get out of this rut," Karen realized, and a more serious tone dominated the room.

The young man nodded in reply. "The first steps are the hardest, but the rest will get easier, I promise."

"Yeah…"

They were startled by a knock at the door. "H-Hey… I-I'm back…"

"Come on in; it's unlocked," Jack replied, standing up and stretching.

Cliff returned with a bag of peanuts in his arms and observed the scene. The room was so quiet. Maybe he had done the wrong thing, leaving the way he did… "Ah, so… r-ready to continue?" He nervously walked to the kitchen and deposited his bag on the counter.

To his surprise, Karen hurried to his side. "Yeah. I want to cook something, and I want to do it _right_ ," Her eyes darted to the farmer and she gave him a small smile.

"Alright," Cliff relaxed a bit, looking back at the recipe. "Karen, I'm going to put you in charge of peanuts this time so that we actually have some when they're ready to be added. Jack, put the heat back on. Let's do this!"

0o0o0o0

"Much, much better!" Karen sang, cracking the candy into manageable pieces. "It's actually… brittle!" She grinned, very pleased that she had helped create something that passed for the real thing this time. The smile on her face slowly faded as she remembered her conversation with Jack earlier. As much fun as she had today, she knew that she had serious matters to attend to at home. "Hey… I had a good time today, but I gotta go home now, alright?"

Jack dropped some pieces of brittle into an empty peanut bag. "Here, Karen. Take some home to your parents." He gave her a kind smile and a wink. "Feel free to stop by any time, okay?"

"S-Sure." The young woman wasn't expecting her cheeks to feel hot. "Uh, thanks, both of you. I-I'll see you around…" She stammered, giving them an awkward wave before slamming the door behind her.

The color drained from Cliff's face as he waited a few moments to speak. He gingerly placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Apparently, his plan hadn't worked like he intended. "H-Hey… I'm r-really sorry, man… I-I thought…" His voice trailed off as he nervously bit his lip.

"What are you apologizing for?" Jack was grinning from ear to ear. "You're a clumsy wingman, but a pretty damn good one. Come on, let's go to the bar. Drinks are on me."

The young man let out a sigh in relief. "It w-went that well, huh?" Cliff chuckled, the color returning to his face. "Y-You're going to try to meet her again tonight? M-Maybe that's a bit b-bold…?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah, this is for you and me. Karen won't be at the bar tonight. She's got something to take care of."

Cliff waited for more volunteered information, but got none. "Alright then. I want curry rice, a slab of that cake I saw Doug making this morning, and a hot sake." His face lit up.

The farmer laughed and slapped his friend on the back. "And you said _I_ was a bit bold," he rolled his eyes.

 **0o0o0o0**

 _ **I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I had fun writing it! Hope you had a great holiday!**_

 _ **FYI: I had to do a find command to make sure I removed all traces of Pete's name. Am I the only one who calls the main character Pete as opposed to Jack?**_

 _ **P.S. Just in case anyone is wondering, yes, Cliff did get his curry rice, cake and sake… and the leftover peanuts. The kid earned 'em!**_


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